A nenbutsu dance passed down in Saku, led by the sound of drums and bells
Atobe Odori Nenbutsu
The 2026 edition of Atobe Odori Nenbutsu has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/04/05Ended
- Season / frequency
- The first Sunday of April each year / Every year
- Location
- Saihoji Temple
- Area
- Nagano Prefecture・Saku City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 50 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Accompanied by the sound of drums and bells, dancers chant nenbutsu as they perform Atobe Odori Nenbutsu. It is one of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage “Furyu-odori” dances, preserved and passed down in Atobe, Saku City.
About Atobe Odori Nenbutsu
Atobe Odori Nenbutsu is a nenbutsu dance passed down in Atobe, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture.
Centered around drums, the dancers chant nenbutsu and dance in a circle while striking bells.
The Atobe Odori Nenbutsu Preservation Society has carried on to the present day the dance said to have begun in Saku during the Kamakura period under the guidance of the monk Ippen Shonin.
It is a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is also registered as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, “Furyu-odori.”
Source: ユネスコ無形文化遺産「風流踊」 跡部の踊り念仏 | 佐久市ホームページ / 跡部の踊り念仏 | 佐久市ホームページ
Festival highlights
A highlight is the scene in which the dance grows increasingly vigorous as the sounds of drums and bells overlap in the “dojo” set up inside the main hall.
Two drums with prayer beads draped over them are placed at the center, and the dancers, in groups of 8, circle around them counterclockwise.
A defining feature of the dance is the transition from quiet movements accompanied by nenbutsu chanting to a leaping dance in which the body bends forward, backward, and side to side.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース
A nenbutsu dance passed down in Saku, led by the sound of drums and bells
What to expect
The event begins with the construction of a dojo about two ken square inside the main hall of Saihoji Temple, enclosed with wooden grave tablets and cloth.
At the signal of the drums, dancers enter the dojo one by one. When all 8 have assembled, they begin the plain nenbutsu chant, reciting “Namu Amida Butsu.”
They then dance to the drums while striking bells. After the movements grow more vigorous, the dancers leave the dojo in turn and return to their original seats.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Saihoji Temple (424 Atobe, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture).
- By car
It is about 15 minutes by car from the Saku IC exit on the Joshin-Etsu Expressway.
Source: 跡部の踊り念仏 / 長野県 -【JAPAN 47 GO】
Address 424 Atobe, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
An announcement has been made that it will be held at Saihoji Temple on April 5 (Sunday) in 2026.
It is held on the first Sunday of April each year.
This traditional event, performed in the main hall of Saihoji Temple, offers a chance to visit Saku in spring.
Source: 佐久市観光ナビ｜佐久市観光協会公式サイト
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Nagano Prefecture / Saku City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Nearby attractions in Saku, where the venue is located, include Tomono Castle Ruins, the Former Nakagomi School, Pinkoro Jizo, and Teishoji Temple.
All are sites listed as historic places or attractions in Saku City.
If you plan to visit alongside the festival, it is best to check each site’s opening status and visiting conditions in advance.
Origins and History of Atobe Odori Nenbutsu
Atobe Odori Nenbutsu is said to have begun with the dance performed when Ippen Shonin visited Saku in the 2nd year of Koan (1279), during the Kamakura period.
It is believed that Atobe became a center for the nenbutsu dance because a market was held in Atobe Village and its open space became a place for the dance.
The event was temporarily suspended in the early Showa period, but a revival performance was held in 1952, and it is now carried on by the preservation society.
Official information
Event information is available in the cultural properties guide on the Saku City website and in the Saku Tourism Association’s annual events calendar.
Its origins and history of transmission as a cultural property are described in Saku City’s “UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ‘Furyu-odori’: Atobe Odori Nenbutsu.”
Atobe Odori Nenbutsu at a Glance
Atobe Odori Nenbutsu is a nenbutsu dance passed down in Atobe, Saku City.
In the dojo in Saihoji Temple’s main hall, the dance proceeds to the sounds of drums and bells and the chanting of “Namu Amida Butsu.”
It is said to have begun with Ippen Shonin during the Kamakura period, and it is preserved as both a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and one of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage “Furyu-odori” dances.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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